Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day

Once students have learned all about the creatures of the air and the basics of zoology, they can take a trip into the depths and discover all the strange and unique creatures of the sea, lakes, and rivers. They'll learn about the special features of swimming creatures, the different watery environments they live in, what their lifestyles are like, and the special circumstances they deal with. Then they take a closer look at specific groups of swimming creatures, including whales, seals, sea cows, sea turtles, sea snakes, sea frogs and toads, primeval reptiles (like plesiosaurs), fish, sharks, rays, crustaceans, cephalopods, echinoderms, cnidarians, sponges, leeches, and more. As they study these creatures, they'll create replicas of them to add to an ongoing "Ocean Box," and conduct neat experiments like discovering the insulating power of fat, investigating how electrical current travels through salt water vs. fresh water, and determining how much of a role temperature plays in tadpole development. They'll also add to their notebooks by drawing the animals in them, comparing and contrasting animals, and much more. Whether the ocean is a familiar place to your children or not, they'll be equally fascinated by learning about the unique creatures beneath the water.

Apologia Science courses are written from a Biblical worldview with the homeschool in mind. At the elementary level, courses follow a Charlotte Mason-inspired methodology, with lessons organized around narration, notebooking exercises and hands-on activities or projects. Children at different ages can use these together, learning at their own level. Each course is designed to be teacher-student interactive, so teacher involvement is fairly high at this level. At the junior high and high school levels, science courses are more traditional in nature, with the textbook written to the student. Teacher involvement time at this level is much less than at the elementary level. Textbooks contain student reading, lab instructions, "On Your Own" questions and Study Guide questions. A Solutions Manual provides the answers to these and the test questions. Lab kits are available separately for both the elementary and upper-level science courses which include most of the harder to find items you will need.

Author Jeannie Fulbright was a home school mom looking for a quality elementary science series that was creation-based using the Charlotte Mason approach. When she didn't find the type of curriculum she was looking for she decided to create her own. These books use the classical and Charlotte Mason methodology including narration and notebooking to develop critical thinking, logical ordering, retention, and record keeping.

These books came to the attention of Apologia and Dr. Jay Wile, who came to an agreement with the author to take over editing and publishing them. Apologia says, "Well, it has finally happened! After years of searching for an elementary science curriculum that is truly God honoring, user friendly, and scientifically sound, we were introduced to two books by Jeannie Fulbright. It's no wonder that we want to publish her books. As one of the parents who has already used Mrs. Fulbright's astronomy book says, 'It reminds me of Dr. Jay Wile's Apologia Science only yours is on an elementary level while his is written for high school age.' We couldn't have said it better ourselves."

Since the Charlotte Mason method is employed, every lesson is organized with a narrative, notebook work, an activity, and a project. The student notebook is emphasized in the lessons. Activities and projects bring the lessons to life and use simple household items. While the author's intent is for the parent to read these books to elementary students, a student with a 4th-grade reading level could read these books on their own. The books come from a strong creationist viewpoint, including sections called "Creation Confirmation" and Scripture interwoven throughout the book. Apologia recommends spending an entire year covering each book, taking about two weeks to explore most lessons (some lessons may require more time).

As they complete her courses, Ms. Fulbright encourages students to compile a notebook to collect and display the information they are learning. She has now gone one step further by providing a format specifically adapted to each course. The Apologia Notebooking Journals provide a place for the student to complete every assignment, to record experiments and to display work. Included are weekly lesson plans, templates for recording fascinating facts and assignments, and scripture copywork in both print and cursive models. In addition to full-color Miniature Books (for recording facts and information and pasting directly into the notebook), there are optional ideas (Take it Further in Astronomy; Dig in Deeper in Botany; Fly Higher in Zoology, etc.) for lots of additional activities, projects, experiments, books or videos, all of which correlate with specific lessons in each course. Along these lines, the Personal Person project in both of the Anatomy notebooks is special providing clear vinyl overlays of each body system. Be prepared to cut these out, though.

< In some courses (and eventually in all) the youngsters in your homeschool have a Junior Notebooking Journal prepared just for them with less handwriting but the same reinforcing activities. These books include coloring pages, project pages, and cut and fold miniature books (same ones as in the version for older students). There is space for notebooking assignments (more drawings, no questions to answer) and scripture copywork (shorter verses to copy either in manuscript or in beginning cursive). Biblical quotations are from the NASB, KJV, NIV or NKJV.

To complete the books all you will need to provide is scissors, glue, colored pencils, a stapler, and a few brass fasteners. The author does caution, however, that everything in the journal is "optional" and work can be tailored to each student by simply tearing out unwanted pages from the spiral-bound book. Serving both as a uniquely expressed record of the student's work and as a prized reminder of acquired knowledge, these books will become a homeschooling heirloom.

We also now offer lab kits from Nature's Workshop for most of the elementary courses. Kits contain most of the materials for the experiments, and are conveniently packaged by lesson in the corresponding book (sold separately). There are still a few items you will need from around your house, but with these kits the list becomes extremely short. ~ Janice / Jerry

From Apologia:Our Young Explorers Series combines our conversationally-written instruction, hands on activities, and interactive notebooking with an inquisitiveness into God's Creation to turn your young learner into a young explorer. From the tiniest microbe to greatest galaxy, all of creation declares His glory (Psalm 19:1), and if we study Gods creation with intent to glorify Him, then we will soon learn to be in awe of Him and the works of His hand. This awe is more easily instilled during the elementary years when a good old-fashioned bug hunt, leaf collection, or field trip to your local zoo can reveal all sorts of wonders.

Items listed in this section tend to be complete science programs with a teacher and student component, requiring few supplements besides science supplies.